What You Need to Know
About 21st Century
College Military Veterans
By MARy LEE VANCE, WAyNE K. MILLER, AND PAUL GROSSMAN
Nearly two million veterans, including those who remain in active military service, will be eligible for postsecondary education, courtesy of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. These servicemen and women have earned the right to a college education, and many are on their way to campuses across the country. When they arrive, they bring a new culture, a new set of opportunities, and new challenges. Regardless of personal or political beliefs about Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring
Freedom (OEF-Afghanistan), we are all indebted to veterans.
Veterans, servicemembers, and wounded warriors represent
a group of mature individuals who have seen the world and
understand that this nation’s lifestyle, wealth, and values are
not typical of the rest of the world. These individuals have
come face to face with great moral questions and have devel-
oped a clear vision for what is right and wrong. They have
experienced a purpose of greater gravity and meaning than
many of their peers may ever know. They have risked their
lives for their nation and fellow warriors; learned to operate,
command, and work with individuals of all races, national
origins, and genders; and internalized the discipline of doing
whatever it takes to achieve a mission, from securing a village
to obtaining a degree. Veterans bring enormous promise for
enriching college and university campuses, but is your campus
ready to help them reach this potential?
